Fastpitch Masters Blog

If you or your player are new to softball, you’ll want to continue reading our blog about how to pick the right size bat for your athlete! Bat sizing is really dependent on the size and strength of your athlete. Players who hit for power usually don’t swing the same bat as players looking for base hits or slappers. 

When looking at the size and weight of a bat, you’re looking at the ounces and inches. For example, a 32/22 size bat is 32 inches and 22 ounces. This size of bat is considered a -10 or a drop 10. The 10 comes from the ounces (22) being subtracted by the inches (32). At levels with older players, you’ll see your power hitters swinging drop 8’s, a heavier bat than the barrel’s length. For players 6-10 years old, it is recommended they swing a length of 25-30 inches and ounces between 13-20. You can look at exact numbers for each age, but players are still developing at this age, so some may grow faster or slower than others. Once players get older, they’ll look for bats 30-34 inches and 20-26 ounces. Once you’re older, your size and strength will determine what bat you’d want to swing. 

Another factor when looking at bats is how the bat’s weight is distributed. Some bats are considered balanced, while others are end-loaded. Determining whether an athlete should swing an end-loaded or balanced is mostly part of their preference. Typically smaller athletes or slappers will swing a balanced bat.